In the beginning, before the
written word, Greek myths were told by mouth, or story-telling. The myths are
generally believed to have been acquired during the Mycenaean age being
transmitted by poets and minstrels. Following mythical chronology it may be
said that the Greek historical legends extend from 1900 BC to 1000 BC.

Around 700 BC, the myths enter the
literate era with the works of Homer and Hesiod, flourishing for a few centuries
after them through the works of poets and dramatists. By the end of the Roman
times, from the 4th century to the 6th century AD, literary works were still
being created. In addition to the poets the myths were also told, collected or
commented by historians and compilers.

The work of mythographers continued
during the Middle Ages, but about two hundred years before the collapse of Rome
the myths went through the historical accident of being banished. The
persecution against the myths that were associated with the Olympian religion
may be traced back at least to the activities of the Roman citizen St. Paul, who
in Ephesus promoted or was involved in the notorious ritual of the burning of
the books.

In the west, however, the decadence
of education followed the barbarian irruption, and by the 7th century AD, the
cultural tradition had collapsed. But neither cultural tradition nor the
worshipping of the Olympian gods ever disappeared completely, as it has been
recorded in France of the 12th century.